Alameda city briefs: Litter cleanup Saturday at Alameda Point

The city's Public Works Department's Clean Water Program, in collaboration with PM Realty Group, is sponsoring a litter cleanup day at Alameda Point from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday.

To participate, volunteers can preregister at www.alamedapointcleanup2014.eventbrite.com or they may sign up the morning of the cleanup at the registration tables at the Shoreline parking lot on Main Street, west of the dog park. Participants should wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and bring their own reusable bucket or bag and work gloves. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

The aim of the cleanup to help prevent pollution reaching San Francisco Bay and the ocean. For information, contact Patrizia Guccione at pguccion@alamedaca.gov or 510-747-7951.

Buddhist Temple to host Obon festival July 26

The Buddhist Temple of Alameda will host its 2014 Obon Festival, which honors the spirits of ancestors, on July 26.

The free event will begin with a mini food bazaar at 4 p.m. that will include hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as udon and teriyaki. The "bon odori," a dance traditionally performed during the festival, will take place at 7:30 p.m.

The temple is at 2325 Pacific Ave. For information, visit www. btoa.org.

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Meeting set on proposal for Cross Alameda Trail

A community meeting on the proposed Cross Alameda Trail along Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway will take place 6:30 p.m. July 28 in Conference Room 201 at City Hall West, 950 West Mall Square at Alameda Point.

The trail would run parallel to and south of the parkway for about one mile between Webster and Main streets through an abandoned railroad right-of-way. It would be by walkers, cyclists and joggers.

The meeting will include a review of the draft proposed project concept. People who do not attend the meeting can submit written comments to Gail Payne, transportation coordinator, at City Hall West, 950 West Mall Square, Room 110, Alameda, Calif. 94501 or by e-mail at gpayne@alamedaca.gov.

For information, call Payne at 510-747-7948. The city's Transportation Commission is tentatively scheduled to review the final draft proposed project concept on Sept. 24.

City offers emergency alerts through Nixle

The city is now using Nixle to provide instant alerts to the community for public safety events and other significant community issues.

For many years, the city used a similar service that only dialed landline telephones. Nixle uses technology that provides instant outreach via telephone, cell phone, text message, email, Facebook, Twitter and the Internet.

The alerts can be sent citywide or only to certain neighborhoods, depending on the situation. There are three levels of messaging that are typically sent: alert messages, advisory messages and community messages. To receive alerts via mobile devices and social media, people must sign-up by texting their ZIP code (94501 or 94502) to "888-777."

People can also sign up via the Internet at: http://local.nixle.com/register/ where there are options for where you want alerts sent -- home phone only, cell phone, or both. Residents and businesses will continue to receive emergency alert messages via their landline phones automatically.

Ex-S.F. Mayor Brown to speak in Alameda

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown will be the speaker during the City of Alameda Democratic Club's Seventh Annual Garden Party at the Muir House, 1004 Paru St.

The July 27 event, which will feature light refreshments and a silent auction, will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Brown will speak at 1 p.m. Other local politicians are also expected to attend.

Tickets, which are $45 for club members and $75 for non-members, are available by mailing a check to CADC, P.O. Box 2723, Alameda, Calif., 94501.

Tucker's sells new flavor to support park bench

All proceeds from the sale of a new ice cream flavor at Tucker's Ice Cream, 1349 Park St., will go toward the restoration of the Isabelle Clark Memorial Bench in Jackson Park.

Kate Pryor has created "Dumb Friends Bench Blueberry Buckle."

The park bench was commissioned by Isabelle Clark in 1920 and originally had a water trough for the benefit of birds and other animals that has since been filled in. The bench is inscribed "In Memory of My Dumb Friends," a reference to animals and their inability to speak.

The Alameda Recreation and Park Commission has pledged $5,000 toward the $15,000 cost for the restoration. Individuals and businesses are donating the rest of the money.

The Alameda Architectural Preservation Society, which has pledged $500, is acting as a conduit so that donations can be accorded 501(c)3 status. For information, visit www.savethebench.org or contact Denise Shelton at 510-508-2603 or alamedans@gmail.com.

Annual street repair, resurfacing to begin

The city's annual street repair and resurfacing project will begin in late July and is expected to be finished by early September. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

During construction, motorists will experience minor disruptions in traffic, temporary loss of parking spaces, temporary restricted street access, as well as an increase in noise and dust levels. It is also possible that on-street parking will be removed for up to one week during the work, according to city officials. Bus stop access will be maintained throughout the project.

Among the streets where the work will take place are Central Avenue, Robert Davey Jr. and Otis drives, Willow and Chestnut streets and Buena Vista Avenue. For information, call Trung Nguyen at 510-747-7900.